‘Atmospheric River’ Smashes Records in Pacific Northwest

A barrage of unusually intense early-autumn storm systems swept across the Pacific Northwest this weekend, bringing hurricane-force winds and dumping enough rain to smash all-time monthly rainfall records from Seattle to Portland.

According to Climate Central, this unusually intense event was the product of a long plume of moisture aimed directly at the Pacific Northwest.  Further, "these moisture plumes are sometimes called 'atmospheric rivers,' which are responsible for some of the most damaging flooding events along the U.S. West Coast, particularly in California."

To make matters worse, a study released earlier this year found that climate change may lead to an increase in atmospheric rivers and their resultant extreme precipitation events.

‘Atmospheric River’ Smashes Records in Pacific Northwest